Improvement in cotton-compresses



UNITED i STATES( 'PAT T Orrcn JosEPH CAHOON, or` MEMPHS, crENNnssEE, ASSIGNOR oF ONE-FOURTH.

. RIGHT (ro THojMAs H. GAHOON, OF'GLEVELAED, OHIO. i

IMPROVEMENT IN COTTON-CMPRESSES,

"Specifieation forning partof Letters Patent No. .164,903, dated June 29, 1875; application filed 4 May 24,1875. v

` To all 'whom 't may concern:

Be it known that I, J. J OSEPH GAHOON, of Memphis, in the County of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and i useful Improvements inGotton-Compress; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as 'will enable others skilled in the art i to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the aceompanying draw' ings, which form part of this specificaton.

My invention relates to machinery for compressing eotton-bales, eonrnonly known as a cotton-compress.

The object of the invention is to take cotton-bales as they are ordinarily found in the .market, and for the purpose of economizing .bale causes the jaws to close, and thereby to compress the bale simultaneously in the direction of its breadth and thickness, as hereinafter more full y set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of one of the platens. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, one portion representing the two platens pressed together, the other portion representing then separated. Fig. 3 represents the upper platen and lower platen standing open, with a bale of cotton resting upon the lower one. Fig. 4 is a cross-section, rep resenting the bale eonpressed between the two platens, caused by raising the lower platen up against the upper one.

A is the bed-plate of either platen. B are jaws, hinged at B' to the bed-plate. O is a central abutment. D are suitable loose pins or p'ojeetion's, whereby, when the lower platen is dropped down upon the flat surface, the loose pins are driven in and cause the lower jaws to open outward. The jaws of the upper platen are constructed in similar form; but as they open by their own gravity, there is no `necessity for the loose pins D. E is a cottonbale. It is placed upon the open jaws of the i lower platen, as indicated in Fig. 3. The lower platen is then raised up by` suitable machinery until the bale is pressed firmly between the two platens. The pressure is then applied with great force until the resistanee of the bale, due to the pressure, causes the jaws to rest firnly against the bed-plate and mesh together, presenting the appearance shown in Fig. 4. ln this way, it Will be observed, the bale is simultaneously-compressed both laterally and vertically. F are spaces left between the jaws B for the purpose of fastening the bands or hoops about the hale.

If the bale-tie is of a greater breadth than the band the openings F( are hollowed out from the sides of the jaws, so as to pernit the baletie to spring through against the bale. After the bale has been suitably compressed and bound, the pressure is relieved, which completes the operation, and the bale is removed.

It will be seen that the jaws B of the upper platen are so countershapcd With respect to the jaws of the lower platen that when the two come together they will mesh iIto each other, as shown at the left in Fig. 2. The jaws B are hinged to the bed-plate A very securely, in order to preventthe bar-le, by its expansion, from causing the jaws to separate or 'break from their bearings. In the drawings, the jaws are rcpresented as trunnioned into the bed-plate, the separate jaws being united by a rod, G. I

My invention does not coitenplate the employnient ot' any particular kind of press, nor of any particular kind of power for Operating the same, but it is designed for and adapted to any kind of press wherein the jaws are forced toward each other. I employ, however, generally a press wherein the lower platen is forced up against the stationary upper platen by steam or hydraulic power.

I an not aware that a hale-compress has ever before been made, whereby the bale is pressed sinultaneously both laterally and vertical] y. 1

It will be seen, by an examination of Fig. 4, that the space occupied by the` bale When the platens are -pressed together is elongated in form and has round cornersi This forn` facilitates the fasteniug of the bands. They can be fastened close to the hale; it would not be practicable were the hale left with square or nearly square coruers. The result is that the hale can be so closely tied with the bands that there is very little expansiou when the pressure is removed.

What I claim -as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The belo compress consisting of the platensA and the jaws B ,hinged thereto, whereby a bale interposed between the two platens is, by forcing the platens together, simultaneously pressed both laterally and vertically, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the platens A, of

J. JOSEPH CAHOON. Witnesses.:

H. T. HowER, FRANCIS TOUMEY. 

